Traveling and PMR

[christi48]

I would love to hear how those who are traveling handled long-distance, hours-long (>5hours) flights. Thank you...

[123-go]

There are many tips and comments to be found in the 'Related Posts' section that you should find helpful. Look here to begin with:

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[Janet57]

I’ve recently travelled from Glasgow to Sydney and in the process of returning from New Zealand to Glasgow. I work out in hours how long all the flights are and in between travel times and divide those hours by 24 so that I take my Pred and other painkillers when I would have done. It seems to work. I always take my meds with food so if you are in a plane you may have to take something with you or save food for the appropriate time. Not had any issues so far. When you return to your home country I then adjust each dose until I get back into the right timeframe again. It’s not an exact science 😊

[christi48 in reply to Janet57]

I'm glad you mentioned this because I had not been thinking about taking medication, which I've never had to do before. I was more concerned about pain and stiffness during a long flight, but thank you for reminding me about that!

[Janet57 in reply to christi48]

I’m just back (yesterday) from a 36 hour, three flight trip from New Zealand. My best tips would be to keep moving, even little leg, feet movements help, get up to the loo a few times, even if you don’t need to 😂, keep hydrated with water as that helps the muscles, catch what sleep you can. Try to relax and not to get too stiff. All of these little things will help your journey. Can’t help with jet lag, that’s why I’m up at 0400 replying to this 😂.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Janet57]

Hope you weren’t in Auckland/Coromandel or surrounding areas….😳

[Janet57 in reply to DorsetLady]

yes, we arrived in Auckland off our cruise the day of the flooding. We saw it unfold. We had Coromandel on our itinerary and started to drive north through flooding, trying different routes till the Police told us to go back. We ended up staying in Matamata - the Hobbiton town. It was an adventure for us but not for those who lost their homes and livelihoods. An amazing country. My husband described it as Scotland on steroids 🤣. Ironic really. Do you know it well?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Janet57]

Not as well as I’d like 😊… my daughter moved there 16 years ago, she lives on the South Island One a grandson lives/works in Wellington, other one is returning home later this year after 5 years back in UK. Also have a couple of cousins living there, one on north island other on south. Went to Auckland last time there - met a couple of different members off this forum at the time.

Been a couple of times - fingers crossed for a return this Christmas/new year for another few weeks.

The South Island is very Scottish in parts, certainly the further south you go - north island is [usually] warmer and a bit Mediterranean in places - but the scenery is amazing wherever you are……

[Janet57 in reply to DorsetLady]

Yes, it’s fabulous. I would go back in a heartbeat if it wasn’t so far.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Janet57]

True -so not an easy or cheap trip. I have one child there and one in UK - so a bit torn at times…thank goodness for t’internet!

Forgot, have a great niece there as well…..

[HeronNS in reply to Janet57]

I had a week there in the 90s and said if someone had handed me a ticket as I was getting off plane once home and told me to get right back on and go back to NZ, I would have. And I still had three teenagers at home, who'd been looking after themselves and the house while we were away! We did book a cruise years later, but misadventures cancelled that and now I know it will never happen.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Recent reply in another thread -

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Same as I always did except for requesting airport assistance. I make sure I don't have a long journey to the airport the same day as flying, staying close to the airport the night before. And don't plan anything essential the first day I get there - just go to bed and sleep.

[Selfbuilder]

At an anecdotal level, I'm with Janet57; it's not an exact science. Had to fly to Arizona last year. 11 hour flight and 8 hour time difference. Had no problems with the PMR and pred times. I used a tip I had from a flight attendant to avoid(?) jet lag; get on the plane and set your watch to the destination time. Took pred based on this. I can see that this might not work on longer flights with more time difference. I should say that I'm down to 2mg and don't have a problem with varying my pred time generally.

[christi48 in reply to Selfbuilder]

Thank you

[FabricArt]

In November, I took a trip from Seattle USA to Europe. When I told my GP about it, she upped my dose up to 10 msg for 21 days. A previous local flight had given me the shakes, exhaustion—- while flight was short, we had to leave home at 5 am, and then could not check in. Went to daughter’s house, but the Jan6 Commission was on, and I sat riveted—thus the awful feelings. I took 1 mg and solved the problem then. The 10 mgs worked well. And we had a great trip.

Things I’ve learned: check in to a hotel the day before a long flight if humanly possible

Keep the flight segments as short as possible. On our way to Portugal, we stopped for 2.5 days in Iceland, so we could catch up on our jet-lag. Then one flight to London, and a switch to Lisbon. On our way home, we stayed in Paris for 3 days, then to Iceland briefly and then home ( 8-9 hours).

BTW, we traveled very frugally for 25 years, with business and pleasure. For travel now , ages 77 and 84, with PMR too, we realize that to enjoy new places will cost us more in hotels and breaking up the flights.

Good luck

[christi48 in reply to FabricArt]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

[christi48 in reply to FabricArt]

BTW - I live in Bellingham...

[FabricArt in reply to christi48]

Wow! Are you doing OK with your PMR? Want to meet for coffee sometime to share our woes?

[christi48 in reply to FabricArt]

I sent you a private message on your profile page...

[FabricArt]

I’m having trouble finding your reply.

[HeronNS in reply to FabricArt]

Don't post your e-mail publicly. That's what private message (aka chat) is useful for.

[HeronNS in reply to FabricArt]

You should see notification of private message on your screen, next to alerts for public replies.

[Rachmaninov2 in reply to FabricArt]

This post isn’t locked!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to FabricArt]

Please do NOT leave your email address on public forum - this is nothing other than social media and I really hope you wouldn't publicise your email on Facebook!